Table 17. Actual and projected numbers for the pupil/teacher ratios in elementary and secondary schools, by control of school: Fall 1996 through fall 2021

Year

Total

Public

Private

Actual

1996 1

16.9

17.1

15.5

1997

16.6

16.8

15.2

1998 1

16.3

16.4

15.0

1999

15.9

16.1

14.7

2000 1

15.9

16.0

14.5

2001

15.7

15.9

14.3

2002 1

15.7

15.9

14.1

2003

15.7

15.9

13.8

2004 1

15.5

15.8

13.7

2005

15.4

15.6

13.5

2006 1

15.3

15.6

13.2

2007

15.2

15.5

13.0

2008 1

15.0

15.3

12.8

2009

15.0

15.4

12.5

2010 1

15.0

15.2

12.4

Projected

2011

14.9

15.2

12.3

2012

14.8

15.2

12.3

2013

14.8

15.1

12.3

2014

14.7

15.0

12.2

2015

14.6

14.9

12.1

2016

14.5

14.8

12.1

2017

14.4

14.7

12.0

2018

14.3

14.6

11.9

2019

14.2

14.5

11.8

2020

14.1

14.4

11.7

2021

14.1

14.4

11.7

1 Since the biennial Private School Universe Survey (PSS) is collected in the fall of odd-numbered years, private school numbers for alternate years are estimated based on data from the PSS.

NOTE: The pupil/teacher ratios were derived from tables 1 and 16. Teachers reported in full-time equivalents. Some data have been revised from previously published figures. Mean absolute percentage errors of selected education statistics can be found in table A-2, appendix A.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), “State Nonfiscal Survey of Public Elementary/Secondary Education,” 1996–97 through 2010–11; Private School Universe Survey (PSS), selected years, 1997–98 through 2009–10; National Elementary and Secondary Enrollment Model, 1972–2010; and Elementary and Secondary Teacher Model, 1973–2010. (This table was prepared March 2012.)